THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 22, 1995 TAG: 9502220016
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
Staff writer Scott Harper's ``An industry killer?'' (Feb. 6) is an excellent example of trying to deal with the environment of the '90s by using the industrial mentality of the Roaring '20s.
Industry and business have no inherent right to kill off this planet in the name of jobs and profit. Industry and business do have a right to creatively develop goods and services which are compatible with, and not toxic to, people, animals, plants and Earth.
Contrary to the mood that Mr. Harper tried to establish, I am not appalled that the area ``lost'' an industry that, using his example, could dump 100 tons of toxic material into our air each year. I am appalled, however, that anyone would consider this an acceptable addition to our atmosphere.
Rather than boo and hiss at the ``nasty old regulatory agencies'' for denying us an increase in our toxic-chemical consumption, we should challenge businesses to think from a whole new direction. Our planet is dying, and we are the ones killing it.
George Allen's recent gutting of the state's environmental quality agencies shows his total disregard of the health and lives of Virginians - in favor of the business profits of his cronies.
Calling regulatory agencies the bad guys is a (toxic) smoke screen that obscures the real problem - businesses that think that soil, air, water and people are theirs to pollute.
American business has always prided itself on its creativity. In 200 years of industrial activity, we have toxified huge portions of this nation. The time to heal is now. American business faces its greatest creative challenge. And either business meets this challenge, or business will die as the environment and the people are dying.
JAMES SCOTT
Chesapeake, Feb. 7, 1995 by CNB